Hudson resident Patty Langlais adjusts the banana costumes on her Boston terrier, Abby, and French bulldog, Radar, at the Bark in the Park event Saturday afternoon.
april guilmet

Bark park

Spirit of Halloween alive at Hudson's 'Bark in the Park'

By APRIL GUILMETUnion Leader Correspondent

HUDSON — The spirit of Halloween was alive and well at the Hudson Dog Park on Saturday, where there were plenty of treats (and tricks) for the four-legged as well as the two-legged at the third annual Bark in the Park event, a major fundraiser for the local dog park.

.The day featured a doggie costume contest, pet photos, a bake sale, raffles, and an assortment of goodies for pets and the people who love them.

The dog park opened inside Benson Park several years ago and operates entirely on the efforts of volunteers for its constant upkeep, said board secretary Cheryl Wheeler...Park officials are hoping to purchase some much-needed maintenance equipment and also install additional benches within the park.

Local pet supply store America's Pets and Hudson-based dog treat bakery Casey Jones Bones donated 100 percent of the proceeds from Saturday's sales to the dog park...Lill Marks, co-owner of America's Pets, said the store has been a strong supporter of the dog park since its beginning.

"We'd start by having bake sales at the store before the park was even built," Marks said.Photos of this year's doggie costume contest contestants are posted on the Friends of Hudson Dog Park Facebook page, where visitors can "like" their favorite costumed canines from now through Halloween.The most "likeable" pooch will win a special goody basket, Wheeler said...Formed in 2010, the Friends of the Hudson Dog Park initially raised $26,000 to construct the two-section, off-leash dog park.